Izeran Empire
The Interstellar Empire of Izera is an interstellar monarchy originating in the Din System and comprised of the entirety of the theran species. Izera traces its roots to the joining of native therans and human colonists who left Earth and made their way to Akanda. Etymology "Izera" stems from "Szera," referring to "Nijar Szera," the First Emperor and founder of the empire. History Long ago, when the native Theran were still in the Stone Age, some humans of unknown origin decided to try and colonize the planet. Most of the records from Izera’s past were lost to various conflicts and circumstances, or else never existed in the first place, but somehow or other the natives came to possess and understand the human colonists’ advanced technology. As the Theran advanced rapidly, the human colony stagnated as, for reasons now lost to history, they received no aid from off-world. As the natives discovered industrialization, multiple wars broke out over territory and resources, eventually escalating into one enormous global conflict, one which only ended after a particular faction conquered most of the planet, including the human colony, and wiped out the other factions. This one faction eventually founded a world-wide nation, uniting all Therans under a single, idealistic democratic government. Sadly, the residual tension from the war was still strong, even after several generations, and the fledgling democracy was plagued by sabotage and civil unrest. None of the would-be factions ever gained an advantage over the dominant one, however. Instead, they had merely doomed the young nation to a slow death, rotting away from the inside out due to corruption and rampant crime. The slow death of the Akandan Republic, Akanada’s first one-world government, caused poverty and income disparity to explode, leading to a small class of wealthy elites that controlled everything and viciously exploited just about everyone else, all while vocally insisting that there was still democracy. Interestingly, it was during this period that the Therans achieved advanced space-flight, as well as numerous other technological advances, though they lacked the infrastructure or political will to mass produce any of it. Several off-world resource extraction-based colonies, eventually joined by a few colonies in near-by star systems, were set up; all while a new and subversive religion began to take root on the home-world. Eventually, this gutted democracy, doomed practically from the start, came to an end. Inspired by the rebellious attitude of the new religion’s faithful, as well as revolutionary ideas from ancient human ideologies, one man – Nijar Szera - planted the seeds of revolt in the minds of the common people. Eager to overthrow their oppressors, exploited workers forged an alliance of convenience with the persecuted members of the new religion, and eventually teamed up with disgruntled military officers as well. Once that occurred, the old order stood no chance. The revolutionaries staged a bloody coup, promising to “throw off the shackles” of the previous regime and establish a “strong government” that would “rule for the common people.” Together, leaders from the three groups – workers, a religious minority and military defectors – formed a kind of informal dictatorship, casting off all notions of “democracy, ” which had since become associated with oppression. Nijar was placed at the head of this government, and with his allies, wasted no time in reforming the nation, seizing vast amounts of privately-held wealth and redistributing it according to his egalitarian ideas. Though, records show he also made sure a good amount of that redistributed wealth found its way to his allies, enacting a state religion before their new state even had a name, and ensuring that the new military was amply supplied. Near the end of his life, Nijar began consolidating more of the government’s power within himself and his position, before handing his rank down to his son, a move that many of his fellow autocrats mimicked. Within fifty (standard) years, the Szera line had been declared royal, and before the turn of the century, the emperor was the only person who held absolute power over the nation. Izera was formally founded shortly after, solidifying the transition from a group of autocrats to an absolute monarchy. The descendants of Nijar’s collaborators, far from being booted from power, were appointed as governors of Izera’s colonies. That was a few centuries ago. Since then, Izera has changed significantly. By the third generation of the Szera line, the nation’s rulers were much less ideologically polarized, and adopted considerably more moderate positions on wealth redistribution and whatnot. This trend of assuming more centrist positions continues into the current regime. Perhaps more significantly, Izera has long since shed its impoverished past and emerged into the galaxy as a veritable political powerhouse. Government Izera is an absolute monarchy, currently under Empress Tanis Szera. While she has no desire to radically change the status quo in any way, she is the first Izeran empress to allow for mayoral elections, and has also created a position on the Royal Advisory Board that is to be filled by a democratically elected, and sufficiently qualified, citizen. Both positions are life-long appointments, however, and the adviser must also be approved by the empress. The trend among Izera’s royals of taking a “middle-of-the-road” approach to economics continues with Tanis, though she is less shy about occasionally invoking echoes of Nijar’s ideas than many of her predecessors. Although not averse to trade and diplomacy, Izeran governments tend to be very cautious about who, among the other prominent nations of the galaxy, they are willing to trust, and very conservative about just how much trust they are willing to give. Izera values self-sufficiency, and so rarely decides to trade in anything that might create dependency. It also guards the details of its technology jealously, and keeps careful tabs on civilizations it believes might be more advanced in some area or another. While technically a secular government, the Izeran monarchy is very close to its state religion. The emperor or empress serves as a figurehead within the religious hierarchy, and the religious leader serves on the Advisory Board. Foreign Relations Recounting many of the major inter-governmental events that affected Izera. First Contact (3165) Just twenty years after its formal founding, a fledgling Izera launched an expedition into deep space, having recovered ancient star-maps from the human colonists' archives and overheard signals that hinted at an alien civilization near-by. Not long after its launch, the expedition met ships from the Kaladean Empire. Although communication was quickly established, the Kaladeans were hostile and threatened to destroy the expedition ship. It narrowly escaped, but the encounter shaped Izera's foreign policy for generations to come. Verandi and The Norb (3185) Some twenty years later, Izera decided to try its luck at finding friendly civilizations, partially due to the perceived threat from the larger, more powerful Kaladean Empire. Though, given the previous experience, this second expedition was much more well-armed than the first. Within the year, the expedition encountered a joint Norb-Verandi expedition ship. Although the Izeran explorers were initially suspicious and slow to trust, any hostility eventually faded and the future was left open to formal diplomatic relations. Izera has since come to enjoy and rich and fruitful relationship with both nations, going on to found the Galactic Nations alongside them. Norb Moon (3550) A major trade agreement between Izera and the Norb was brokered, and as a result a large moon in the Iros system was placed in the custody of the Norb. The agreement stipulated that the Norb would manufacture chemical products for Izera, and in exchange they would receive flora and fauna samples, as well as free consultations with local wildlife and plant life experts. Economy Izera’s strongest industry is the manufacturing industry. More specifically, the manufacturing of high-technology items (usually consumer electronics) and materials (telecom equipment, semiconductors, etc.) is the largest source of revenue for the nation. Its weakest industry is its exportation of raw materials, with extraction companies having to grapple with environmental concerns when operating on inhabited planets. Recent advances in nanotechnology are poised to revolutionize the Izeran economy - if not the nation as a whole - as newly-created nanomachines are capable of directly manipulating matter on the atomic scale, calling into question the necessity of more traditional methods of manufacturing things. The technology is not widespread, however, as it is still in the prototype stage. Military The military is of tremendous importance to Izera; all citizens are expected to have served at some point or other. There is no mandatory service, but most citizens believe that even a minimal term of service is an enormous boon to one’s career prospects. And more broadly, military service is widely believed to “build character” like nothing else can. The Royal Izeran Armed Forces is a robust, well-funded and technologically advanced fighting force. Although recent governments have put more of an emphasis on space-based forces over other sectors, the overall preparedness of the nation’s military has not suffered to any particularly noticeable extent. The Space Force’s large, powerful, well-armoured battleships serve as the backbone of the fleet and also serve as the space equivalent to aircraft carriers. Cruisers, a “jack of all trades” kind of ship, fill in the gaps alongside the S.F.’s rare few dreadnoughts, which are quite enormous and are as much of a psychological weapon as they are a conventional fighting ship. Izera’s space forces use plasma-based weapons almost exclusively. Infrastructure City Layouts Most of Izera’s major cities require thinking on a three-dimensional level, as they tend to be designed around the notion that “upwards” is better than “outwards.” In the largest cities, enormous skyscrapers skim the bottom of their planet’s stratosphere, and their main entrances are often hundreds of feet above sea-level. Thus, citizens had to become comfortable with regularly changing altitudes by fairly drastic amounts for simple daily commutes. A complex web of mid-air plazas, elevators and bridges connect buildings for pedestrian traffic, and personal vehicles are all capable of free, in-atmosphere flight. These vehicles are all managed by sophisticated traffic A.I’s., and not actually driven by Izeran citizens, due to the increased risks posed by mid-air traffic accidents. For those without personal vehicles, and without the money for regular taxis, public transport does exist; a rough equivalent to a monorail system spans all major cities. This city design tends to leave the lower levels of Izeran cities in near-perpetual darkness, making them incredibly unattractive places for citizens and commercial entities alike. These levels are sparsely inhabited, and often thought of as a hotspot for grey-market dealings and other not-quite-legal activities. Education Education in Izera happens quickly. Young children receive a microscopic brain implant within the first few months of their life, and at roughly 6 Standard Years they are hooked up to a brain-computer interface and receive about a month’s worth of textbook material in a matter of minutes. The system isn’t perfect, though; for the newly learned knowledge to take hold in students’ minds, they must practice using the newly-learned information regularly, and for several consecutive weeks. Even so, the system leaves children with a great deal more free time than more traditional means of education, and so they are usually left at state-funded daycares or religious temples to be babysat. Here they are introduced to and taught art (and possibly philosophy) in ways that an interface couldn’t easily replace. This style of education, the brain-computer interface, extends to older students as well, up to and including the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree. After that, education is done through more traditional means. Older students are, of course, free to do as they please after “school, ” and some parents choose to leave their young children at home after a session, usually because they have a babysitter arranged or because they own a robot capable of caring for little children. Law Enforcement Law enforcement is almost as important to Izeran society as the military, and is quite pervasive as a result. Enforcement personnel are greatly respected, and they are given a great deal of leeway as a result, along with excellent equipment. Officers of the law, from patrolling policemen to federal agents, can apply for “quick warrants” whenever they feel they need to. When they do, an A.I. uses some of the equipment carried by the officer to gather as much information as it can and then instantaneously decides whether or not a warrant is deserved. Despite the prestige afforded to law enforcement, they receive no special immunity to the laws they are trusted with enforcing. They are allowed very little margin for error, and forgiveness is often hard to come by. Law enforcement is aided by an extensive closed-circuit monitoring system present in every city, as well as numerous drones. Biological Enhancement In addition to the education-implant given to every citizen in their early lives, many citizens, especially those in law enforcement or the military, opt to have extra implants installed in various parts of their body in order to improve, sometimes dramatically, their reflexes, physical resilience, memory retention, strength and etc. Culture Human Mimicry Deeply ingrained into Theran culture, and hearkening back to the Stone Age, is the notion that they must appear human while out in public. Once, this was done with face-paint, masks and wigs. Now it is done with advanced hologram technology. Being outside and in the company of strangers without such a disguise is seen as roughly equivalent to being in public while wearing nothing but underwear; embarrassing, frowned upon, but not necessarily illegal. In recent years, though, a growing social movement to cast off this this tradition has emerged and is quickly gaining popularity. Religion Arakism, the state religion, is named for its founder, Mila Arak, who helped found Izera alongside Nijar Szera. In her time, she was seen as a great prophetess, and although her influence has waned over the centuries, she remains a highly influential figure in contemporary Izera. Even so, the ideas she stood for, and indeed, the tenets of Arakism, have changed significantly since Izera’s founding. Once, when Arak was the leader of a small-but-growing cult, her followers were considered a highly subversive group. They presented ideas that ran contrary to almost everything the government of the time wanted people to believe, and actively encouraged others to trash voting stations and refuse to work. Instead, they preached a message of simple living, self-sufficiency and rebellion. Instead of selling their labour for money to buy things, early Arakists said that people should do as much as they can for themselves by themselves. What couldn’t be done by any one individual would be done by someone else, as they said that people should live in small, tightly-knit communities, wherein goods and services are exchanged freely and distributed in a way that ensured that everyone lived well enough. Early Arakists also claimed that the only truly legitimate ruler was the creator-goddess, Therra, and that any government that did not fully embrace the Goddess was, in fact, illegitimate and tyrannical. As Mila Arak’s religion quickly grew, the ideas she had founded it upon became diluted just as quickly. By the time she met and led the revolution with Nijar Szera, Arakism had developed a number of distinct branches that were only united in a handful of fundamental concepts and their veneration of her as their prophetess. When the revolution was over and her religion was made the state religion, Mila felt that unity was absolutely necessary for the fledgling nation to succeed, and began a fairly radical overhaul of Arakism’s guiding philosophy. She downplayed any notion of rebellion dramatically and softened her definition of what the proper lifestyle should be. She tried to appeal to as many people as possible, so as to increase her following - and by extension, the stability of the nation - but also called out leaders of the distinct branches, saying that they were leading people astray and should reunite under her leadership. Reunification was a long and arduous process, one that was still a pressing issue when Mila eventually died of old age. Mila’s successors were more pliable than she was, and although they swore to uphold the key tenets that she had preached, they were soon espousing very moderate positions and giving in to pressure from the government. Modern Arakism still emphasizes self-sufficiency and devotion to the Goddess, but the idea of living “simply” has all but faded from view. Any idea of rebellion or rebellious, anti-authority behaviour has been quashed almost completely, and indeed, has been largely replaced by the idea that followers are duty-bound to obey a pious, Arakist government. In a general sense, many of Arakism’s ideas tend promote a communitarian outlook. Primary practices include meditation, which also serves as a form of prayer or worship, maintaining a small, private garden, and keeping at least some basic level skill in Kashi, which is a Theran martial art. In recent years, Arakism has embraced several new concepts, including ethical consumerism, environmental conservation and cosmopolitanism. Arakism is, by an overwhelming margin, the dominant religion among Izerans. This is at least partially because other religions’ conversion efforts are restricted, and indeed, they are not allowed to practice openly or in public. Other religions are not forbidden, however, and citizens may practice whatever religion they wish within the privacy of their own homes. Martial Arts Kashi is practised in temples across the nation, though most people are taught through slow movements and with an emphasis on its benefits as a spiritual endeavour and as exercise. Nevertheless, it is also taught as an effective fighting style for those who would seek out such lessons, and variants of it are taught to law enforcement and military personnel. All form of Kashi teach swordplay, to some extent or another, and the importance of swords has spread into secular aspects of Izeran culture. Many religious citizens carry around metre-long blades that can retract and collapse into hilts that are usually around eight inches long. Most are not sharpened, however, and are treated as decoration, accessories or symbols. Although the prevalence of guns has rendered melee combat largely irrelevant, among Izeran VIP’s there are sharpened swords made of extremely strong and durable materials. Occasionally, these weapons are also outfitted with internal channels through which, with the aid of precise electromagnets, a small amount of plasma is conducted, superheating the blade. These are considered status symbols more than anything else, though they are still fully-functional weapons. Demographics Therans make up roughly 85% of Izera's citizenry, while humans remain a sizable minority at 12%. The remaining 3% is split between various immigrants from other nations. Territory Izera’s territory consists of about seven star systems with one major colony in each. All systems are patrolled regularly by Izera’s Space Force. *The Din system contains the Izeran home-world, Akanda, as well as several military bases, lesser civilian colonies and some mining colonies. Akanda is the second most densely populated planet in Izera. *The Kal system contains Izera’s largest military base, Tauri, and a handful of prison colonies. The system is tightly guarded, with a number of fleets, smaller bases and defensive installations securing the area. It closed to the public. *The Mila system contains Elas, which is sparsely populated – relative to the other colonies – with only a few major cities and a generally rural feel to it. Its system has no other colonies in it, only a handful of defensive installations. *The Nijar system contains Remul, a large civilian colony renowned for excellent scenery, pleasant weather and prestigious universities. Remul’s planetary government invests heavily in science, and so has a number of research outposts dotting the other planets in its system. These are joined by a handful of defence installations and military bases. *The Iros system contains Tharr, which is an enormous, planet-wide city – an ecumenopolis. Tharr has become the financial and industrial heart of Izera, and is the most densely populated of all Izera’s colonies. Most of the other planets in Tharr’s system have extensive mining operations on them, though a few were reserved for defensive installations. The system also contains the Norb factory-moon. *The Kuo system is listed as a W.M.D. testing ground, and is closed to the public. It contains no colonies or structures, but its planets are each surrounded by an orbital minefield. (Secretly, the system contains planet Xeo, which has been converted into an enormous fortress-world.) *The Eevar system was claimed fairly recently, relative to the other colonies, and has no permanent population. It was discovered to be rich in rare minerals and metals, and the Izeran government has begun extensive mining operations as a result. It has no defensive installations or military bases, but a small fleet is stationed there until some can be erected. Trivia *Within the past decade (3545 - 3555), Izera has developed burgeoning interactive entertainment and anime industries. Category:Nations Category:Izera